Maiden of the Mirthless Smile

A Loyal Abyssal of Mask of Winters

Favorite Skills: Archery, Martial Arts, Melee, Thrown, War, Resistance, Integrity, Presence, Performance, and Social

An alabaster master piece made flesh is what comes to most people’s minds when they first gaze upon Maiden of the Mirthless Smile. Her smooth face forever molded into an enigmatic smile that does not touch her eyes. It is a badge gained for a failure no one save her and her master knows. Since that soul numbing day in the flesh forges of Mask of Winter’s laboratory Maiden of the Mirthless Smile has never failed again.

• Oldest Death Knight under the Command of the Mask of Winters
• A Death Knight marked by The Green Lady as worthy – a true Solar Quality Recipient.
• Commander in Chief of Mask of Winter’s Armies and strangely enough has her master’s full confidence
• Led the Vanguard against the force of Thorn and personally executed all the Supernatural Defenders and the City God
• She fought Dace when she invaded a city-state in the Scavenger Lands. Dace only managed to pin her unit, and Mask of Winter recalled her before she can show the fledging Solars a Death Knight’s true might. All this almost came to naught with Golden Tyrant’s rebellion but thankfully only the War Captain’s Circle realize their true damager. All encounter the other Solar had with the Death Knights showed them as formidable but hardly on the same level. This is mainly because so few Abyssals are the stuff of legends. Instead many are whatever tickles the Death Lord’s fancy.
• Only her, Adamant Sadness and Blind Pain Soulful Timbre remain as Death Knights. The other 6 Death Knights were all killed by Solars when they invaded the Underworld in search of the kidnapped Gladrien Vanja.
  • Though 2 of those 6 are newly exalted after Golden Tyrant slaughtered their predecessors.
• Uses an Abyssal Daiklave Style “New Shadow School (新阴流),” more commonly known as “One who strike strong enough, need not strike again.”
  • Focuses on Speed and Damage
• Has the Combo “Wolf Catching the Snake’s Tail”
• Has 7 Hearthstone Socketed that combined with her equipment and arsenal at her disposal makes her an adversary not to be taken lightly. 3 from Sword, 2 from Armor, 1 from Hearthstone Bracer, 1 from Hearthstone Amulet

 

The Maiden’s Panoply

Ironic Jest
(Soulsteel Grand Daiklave, Artifact•••••)

Like all Soulsteel weapons this Grand Daiklave is Jet Black with tormented souls that fade and reappears as if it’s a trick of the light. When drawn a constant swirling aura of Red and Black surrounds it.

• Cost 10 Motes to Attune
• 3 Hearthstone Sockets (one on each side of the blade where the guard joins the hilt, and 1 at the tip of the blade)
• The weapon releases a desolating and soul numbing chuckle when its attacks fail to do damage. All living things within hearing range (except those with the Whisper Background), be they friend or foe, regardless if they can physically hear sounds or not – since it is a supernatural effect and not actual sound waves, who’s MDV is lower than the Essence of the Wielder +3 will be at -4 internal penalty for the rest of the scene as the chuckle wreck their souls and send their bodies into random spasms. This is an unnatural mental influence and requires 2 Willpower point to resist for the rest of the scene.
• The blade is no better when its attack succeeds however. When an attack manages to do damage, it screams a desperate laughter of suffering as if hot lead is pour into their eye sockets but they can only laugh. The ghosts whose soul was used to make the material for the blade all rush to its surface, distorting it as blood trickles out of their orifices and drips down the blade. This is not all for show. The blade is literally drinking the life essences of the target and venting it out as blood. It adds levels of lethal damage equal to the wielder’s Essence (after damage is rolled) to the attack but only to living targets.
• All this is in addition to the intrinsic essence draining property of Soulsteel.

Speed 5
Accuracy +3 (+5 attuned)
Damage +14L/4
Defense +0
Rate 3
Min Str••
Attune 10
Tags: 2, O, P, R

 

 

Pale Pain’s Mirror
(Super Heavy Artifact Plate???, Unique Artifact)

This set of Abyssal Battle Armor is completely made of Soulsteel forged from the Ghosts of Violated Maidens. It is said that Maiden of the Mirthless Smile was made to gather these Ghosts personally and in the depth of the Mask of Winter’s Labyrinth Laboratory forged them into the armor accompanied by Mask of Winters. Whether this is true or not, no one save Mask of Winters and Maiden of Mirthless Smile know. The armor is rarely used however, and is stored in Elsewhere via Charms.

This all that is half-truths however, since the actual Pale Pain’s Mirror is a part of Maiden’s Life Essence. In its making her soul was no less violated than the final violation she was forced to commit on the armor’s material ghosts. The necromancy Mask of Winters wielded forged all their suffering into a crystalized monument to innocence lost to tyranny – a perfect face of suffering contorted into a forced smile, the very face of Maiden of the Mirthless Smile.

What people believe is the “Armor” is actually nothing more than a memento. True the actual armor grants fantastic protection but no more than any quality suit of same caliber. The true horror, the truly powerful artifact, is hers for all time – an escapable and inviolate proof of her broken spirit.

Power: In this artifact the Mask of Winter had outdone himself. A simple act of “diabolique” turned out to be more successful than even he realizes. The Pale Pain’s Mirror Increase the Maiden of the Mirthless Smile Permanent Essence by 1, and connects her to the corruption of the Labyrinth and cements her to the causes of Oblivion. Her caste mark is no longer a bleeding brand but of solid darkness that dims her surrounding in opposition magnitude of Solar animas.

This connection effectively negates the her need to spent Willpower points to activate Charms with “Spectre” keywords, for she is ever choking in the taint of the Underworld. It also means she regains Essence always as if she is in the Labyrinth.

Unknown to even the Neverborns , whilst she “wears” this artifact she can never be redeemed. The potent link to the Neverborns (hence the +1 to Essence) will forever unmake any progress towards that goal. As a side effect, her Dissonance Discharges are at double potency. This doubles radius and targets and such, it does not mean her 2 dot discharge has the same sweeping scale as a 4 dot discharge.

The Byproduct Soulsteel Superheavy Plate (Artifact •••••)

Soak: +15L/15B, Attuned: +17L/17B
Hardness 10L/10B, Attuned: 11L/11B
2 Hearthstone Sockets (Collar, Waist)

 

 

Tears of Incomparable Misery
(Soulsteel Punishment Implant, Artifact •••••)

This is a cape of interwoven strands of soulsteel that trails a murky vapor as fire does smoke. Each strand is finer than spider silk and is stronger than anchor chains. The cape is regal and fit for a queen, with gold trimmings and a high collar. Its opulent appearance however disguises its ruthless nature. The strands do not merely form a tapestry of darkness. It reaches deep within her and integrates into every organ and every bone. The crude necrosurgery leaves an ever open wound between the shoulder blades where it enters the body. The wound is horrifying to look at but otherwise produces no pain or penalties upon Maiden of the Mirthless Smiles.

It is because of this that the Maiden of the Mirthless Smile is never seen without it. Nor does she allow any but her honor guards to attend her when she is undressed.

For all its apparent horrors the cape is far far worse.

• The Cape essentially makes Maiden of the Mirthless Smiles a puppet on strings. Regardless of the distance can, should he wish it, play with her as a puppeteer does a marionette. He if he so choses can see what she sees, hear what she hears, smell what she smells, but fortunately he does not know what she thinks. The arcane link only links the physical and does not extend to the mind. He can also communicate with her (as if he is whispering to her ear) over the same arcane link.
• While she would never have chosen it herself, the cape can reweave itself into a dozen razor sharp cords 30 feet long. These cords functions the same as 4 permanent Charm of Withering Blood Chain Technique (see below). Like the Maiden of the Mirthless Smiles herself, these malignant appendages’ controls are shared between the Maiden and her master.
• All these control are merely Damocles Sword. For the Mask of Winter never used it. He does not even use the communication function. Instead he resorts to Necromancy or more mundane ways. The Maiden of Mirthless Smile knows they exist however, since Mask of Winter told her personally when the surgery was performed.
• While the artifact have similar function as the Permanent Charm, but it is not actually the permanent version of the Charm. Thus it does not count against the permanent Charm’s normal limit. Should she ever wish to do so, she can purchase the normal limit for the permanent version of the charm.
• Being Razor Sharp Soulsteel, the attacks of these cords have the same Essence draining properties as Soul Steel and inflict Lethal Damage.
• In addition the darkness that extrudes from the cape (and the deadly cords it forms) are poisonous to all living things and takes effect when anything it coats inflicts lethal damage. It goes without saying the source of the corruption (the cords) are always thus coated, but one can sweep their weapon through the murkiness and it will gain enough coating for 1 attack. The Maiden buff her Daiklave with the cape before every battle and its poisonous property last the whole scene.
  • The poison is magical corruption and cannot be prevented by mundane means. Though magical effects that stops poison and crippling effects does work.
  • The Poison drops Extras to the ground in terrifying screams as their mind is overwhelmed. Mercy is granted to them at the end of the scene as their hearts finally gives out.
  • Mortals fair slightly better, since they at least get a save of Stamina + Resistance over difficulty equal to the controller’s Essence. Should they make it, they suffer the same effect as Enlightened Beings, otherwise they perish just the same as Extras.
  • Enlightened Beings are sturdy enough to resist the poison’s deadlier effects. It however is still deliberating and causes mild hallucinations accompanied by high fever. It imposes a –1 Wound Penalty for a number of days equal to the controller’s Essence score. A successful poison RR vs. the controller’s Essence halves that duration.
  • While Maiden of the Mirthless Smile has inundated by her constant exposure the poison readily works on abyssal as it does other Exalts. Of course it does not function on beings who has no wound penalties – such as the dead or constructs.
• The last function is that the cape can be used to whisk the Maiden back to Her Abyssal Manse in an explosion of blood and gore. If one didn’t already know, it would only be natural to assume it was her that exploded. This is a means of last ditch effort to escape, though Mask of Winter can also use it as a form of Recall. The active use of this power is a reflexive action that takes 12 motes. However, it is set to automatically activate should the Maiden reach incapacitated or below.

 

 

Battlelusting Lightless Shadow
(Soulsteel Noble Warstrider, Artifact ••••)

Mask of Winter does not wish to provoke the Warstrider Legion of Lookshy and thus far have kept all his true Warstriders in the Underworld. He made a great show of “field testing a prototype trying to even out the playing field against Lookshy.” This prototype is of course the too large construct made of bone that Adamant Sadness ended up running off with.

Power: A Standard Soulsteel Noble Warstrider built for her at the Command of the Mask of Winters. The only addition is the prehensile tail.

 

 

Nemissary Honor Guards

Like Adamant Sadness, Maiden of the Mirthless Smiles is always escorted by her personal nemissary guards.

These guards are all experienced veterans of the Stygian Wars with centuries of Arcanoi experience hand chosen by Mask of Winters to carry the honor of his chosen. Each of these ancients are granted a construct bodies that is the peak of necro-tech perfection and are both frightening in power and form and molded to emulate the icy beauty of their charge.

Commanding Officer: Maiden of the Mirthless Smiles
Armor Color: Black and Silver, tinged with iridescent Blue
Motto: “Accept this blessing [death] from your betters”
General Makeup: 50 Ancient Nemissary, in Soulsteel Super-Heavy Plate, wielding Soulsteel Grand Grimscythe
Overall Quality: Ultra-Elite
Magnitude: 2 (4)
Drill: 5
Morale: Perfect (Undead and Her are both effectively fearless)
Close Combat Attack: 8
Close Combat Damage: 7 (P)
Shield: Wings (+2 DV)
Ranged Attack: –
Ranged Damage: –
Endurance: N/A
Might: 5
Armor: 8, Hardness 11 (-2 mobility)
Formation: Nemissaries of this caliber are never extras. The five warriors move between formations as needed, and support each other in battle. They often coordinate attacks or move to surround an individual foe.

Note: These Nemissaries have 12 Heath Levels per Magnitude
Note: Soulsteel Wings are not flight capable, but are for defensive purposes. They can be used as shield against incoming attacks adding +2 to DV.
Note: Due to Mask of Winter hiding his true might, these nemissaries often just possess recently killed soldiers’ bodies. Thus they are not using the above stats. These stats are them functioning at their full might.

 

 

 

WRITHING BLOOD CHAIN TECHNIQUE

Cost: 8m, 1wp (12xp)
Mins: Martial Arts 5
Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Obvious, Stackable, Taint
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Five Knife Fist

Blood gushes from the Abyssal’s back and arms and hardens into rust-colored chains tipped with barbed claws. The Abyssal may grow as many as 13 chains, but there is no mechanical benefit to having more or less.

While this Charm is active, the blood chains give the character an extra action on each tick when she acts. A character can buy this Charm more than once, up to (Essence - 2) purchases, gaining another extra action with each purchase. The chains use the Abyssal’s full traits and go limp while the character is inactive for any reason. Actions taken by the chains may be enhanced with Charms as if any normal limb performed them, but they occur independently of any singular actions or flurries their creator takes and do not suffer normal multiple-action penalties. Use of Writhing Blood Chain Technique prevents the use of any other extra-action Charms, though.

The chains cannot wield other weapons, but they can lash opponents up to (Essence) yards away. As weapons, the chains have the tags D, N, R. They have Accuracy, Damage and Defense bonuses equal to their creator’s Essence, inflicting lethal damage. The chains cannot make clinch attacks on their own, but each of their actions may be used to impose a -1 external penalty to an opponent’s roll to control a grapple if used to entangle rather than strike. The weapons are not considered unarmed attacks for the purposes of Martial Arts Charms unless that style wields fighting chains or whips as form weapons. When the scene ends, the chains dissolve in a splash of gore.

Blood chains are vaguely self-aware and restlessly malevolent. If the Abyssal has no Willpower points remaining, the chains lash out at whatever targets the Storyteller chooses, tearing up the environment from boredom if they have no animate targets to maim or kill. It is not possible to voluntarily terminate the Charm before its duration while the chains act freely, though regaining a single Willpower point reasserts control. The Taint drawback of this Charm is that permanent chains present far more opportunities to lose control and cause unwanted collateral damage. Making the Charm permanent costs six bonus points or 12 experience points.